. we've seen a lot of outrageous behavior from politicians at town halls this week. but this morning, texas representative sheila jackson lee took the disrespect to a new level, making a cell phone call while a cancer survivor asked a question. in this video, you can sele raising the phone to her ear and lowering it back down again. i think blatant disregard like that is a first, it didn't go unnoticed. take a look at how people in the audience reacted, this video has been circulating on youtube all day. >> [beep] >> seriously. really? come on. >> it's ok. >> if our conscience allow, congress' conscience allows them to -- do you think that -- sean: the congresswoman said she merely dialed president obama's health care hotline to get an answer for her constituents that sounds like she came really prepared. joining me to discuss all of this is author of "the culture of corruption" are which remains number one on "the new york times" list, michelle malkin is back with us. i don't know what's wrong, saying people are un-american, saying they have swastika, or that reaction, it tells a lot. >> it is a teachable moment, to borrow pres

town hall moment. sheila jackson-lee, while a woman is pouring her heart out about health care, takes a phone call. we'll show you the video when we come back. bicycle, i've missed you. gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief, i promise not to wait as long to go for our ride. with zyrtec ® i can love the air ™ . when morning comes in the middle of the night... rooster crow. ...it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake with memory loss for the event as well as abnormal behaviors such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and halluciations may occur. don't take it with alcohol as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your

of video of sheila jackson lee. what is this? >> well, we found some video. got that elvis hair. >> a hair cut might be nice. that would be one step in the right direction. >> sheila jackson lee is having a town hall meeting. she is sitting there talking on the phone. a person is asking her a question. this is like what seems like the beginning of this thing. believe it or not, we are watching her on the phone, right? there is a woman asking her a question about health care. it seems on its face to be very -- well, yeah. thanks, angie. rude. i am trying to find the words. >> rude, awkward? >> it is not awkward. i tell this to my kids all the time, stop texting or get off the phone when your mother or father or an adult is talking to you. that's not something you want to do. at the very least, its improper telephone etiquette. >> what was the question? what's the full scoop? >> the question doesn't come into play. it was a fair question that was being asked of her of someone who wanted to know more about health care and was asking her a question about how much it is going to cost

. should they? ? >>> was congressman, sheila jackson lee, rude for talking on her cell phone at a town hall meeting? we will let you see the entire exchange for yourself and let you decide. then, she is going to be joining me in a half hour to talk about this live. stay with us. remember the aftershow right at 4:00 on cnn.com/live. stay with us. i'm rick sanchez. i'll be right back. geico's been saving people money on car insurance for over 70 years. and who doesn't want value for their dollar? been true since the day i made my first dollar. where is that dollar? i got it out to show you... uhh... was it rather old and wrinkly? yeah, you saw it? umm fancy a crisp? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. many people believed that scott speicher was still alive. just last week, his body had been found. it has just returned back on u.s. soil. i don't know if we have sound of this. roger, do we have sound? i'm going to be quiet and just let you watch this. michael scott speicher, navy pilot, shot down over iraq on the first night of operation desert

is probably a distraction. but what sheila jackson lee has done is not because sheila jackson lee has a consistent history of serving her constituents. >> okay. >> and i served that lady by having a town hall meeting that she could come to in the middle of the day. >> i get it. >> i look forward to working with you. >> we are out of time. congresswoman, very courageous of you to come on. i know it's a difficult thing. wolf blitzer is standing by. he, too, will be covering stories like this in "the situation room." >>> rick, thank you. happening now, something the white house is doing raising some eyebrows out there. it involves health care reform and possibly your e-mail inbox. >>> a convicted bomber seeks mercy. he's in prison for a notorious terrorist act, the bombing of pan am flight 103, killing a lot of americans. now outrage. he may soon be set free after serving only about eight years. >>> and plane down. it ditches in the middle of the sea, and a pilot stands on the plane as it sinks. you might not believe what happened next. one witness said, and i'm quoting now, i thought i'

, sheila jackson lee did a dreadful thing by talking on a cellphone in the middle of a town hall meeting. arlen specter did himself a lot of damage in the minds of the people in pennsylvania. he seemed to bb rating someone at one of them. -- she seemed to bhe seemed to himself. greta: up next, call rove thinks that the democrats are scared. also, sheila jackson lee talks to a cell phone while someone is asking her question. -- karl rove thinks that democrats are scared. hñí quality and reliability... are more than words here. it's personal. i have diabetes. rodney's kid too. so we're so proud to manufacture... the accu-chek® aviva meters and test strips... here in the u.s.a. plus, we've proven you'll waste 50% fewer strips... when you use our meter, which means greater savings... for people with diabetes, like me. now that's a true american value. accu-chek® aviva. born in the u.s.a. greta: more with karl rove. how about the recent numbers? >> it is interesting, the people who are independent and they looked sort of like democrats when it came to supporting obama overall, it lo

, sheila jackson lee did a dreadful thing by talking on a cellphone in the middle of a town hall meeting. arlen specter did himself a lot of damage in the minds of the people in pennsylvania. he seemed to bb rating someone at one of them. -- she seemed to bhe be beratin himself. greta: up next, call rove thinks that the democrats are scared. also, lee talks who need assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little or no cost to you. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. hi i'm doug harrison. we're experts at getting you the power chair or scooter you need. in fact, if we qualify you for medicare reimbursement and medicare denies your claim, we'll give you your new power chair or scooter free. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. with help

you. was the liberal group acorn stacking questions at town hall meetings? the video caused an uproar, congresswoman sheila jackson lee talking on her cell phone while someone was asking her a question at a town hall. greta talks to one of the stars of "true blood." only new dove has nutriummoisture... which can nourish deep down. new dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. introducing a breakthrough from tums that can control your heartburn for hours all day or all night. it's called tums dual action, and it's the longest lasting tums ever. tums dual action works two ways to relieve heartburn: like all tums, it goes to work in seconds. plus, tums dual action has an effective acid reducer that works for hours, all day or all night, to keep heartburn from coming back. rely on tums dual action for fast, long-lasting relief of heartburn. brand power. helping you buy better. are enjoying the new palm pre from sprint. its revolutionary web os allows multiple applications to run at the same time. - ( thunder and rain ) - millions are using the simply everything plan. - each is saving $1200 o

. gretchen: tracy miller was the woman who goes to the town hall meeting in texas. her congress member there sheila lee jackson takes her question -- by the way she is a cancer survivor. speaking out asking a question. the camera pans away. what is sheila jackson lee doing while tracy is asking her the question? steve: she is on the phone. gretchen: she is on her cell phone. jackson lee later explained to i think it was the hill or "roll call" newspaper down in washington what she was doing was speaking to somebody at the i-there is a hotline that's been set up so you can get quick answers to somebody. she was talking to somebody on the hotline to get some answers to some questions. extraordinarily the woman had not asked a question yet. and, yet, there she was doing it anyway, she was on -- sheila jackson lee was on greta the other day. greta was trying to get her you know are you going to apologize? do you feel bad? were you rude? here is what the congresswoman had to say. >> i certainly can understand if offense was taken. it was not meant to be. and i hope that tracy will come to my town hall meetings as i

call that led to on air apology sheila jackson lee to the town hall attendee she insulted while talking on the phone during that woman's question. now that town haller, a cancer survivor and single mom is challenging congress lee to a debate. let's take a listen to the challenge tracy issued ton a youtube video. >> this time i think it is even more important that you and other members of congress hear equally from myself and others who believe that hr 3200 is bad for america and why it is bad for america. i would like to invite to you have this dialogue in a public forum or debate which is acceptable to you whoa, tracy girl joins us to tell us more about this video challenge. good morning to you. >> good morning. steve: that is brilliant. sheila jackson lee from your district in the houston area she had said well well i'm sorry tracy i hope you will come to a town hall. steve: you turned it around i will come to your town hall but i want to debate the issue. who came up with this idea? >> a friend of mine and myself both were thinking of it when we talked the next day following

summer. sheila jackson lee at a town hall on her cell phone as she is asked a question. was this the diss? greta: the tea parties express rumbled through the country. september 12, the final stop. washington, d.c. griff jenkins was behind the scenes. you chased this bus across country. >> i did. so much has been made about what happened this weekend, the culmination of the 30 cities in 15 states. there were three reporters on board. i was one of them. there was one from cnn and one from "the new york times." before i left -- before i talk about the lessons learned, saturday was the big event. it was promoted most by glenn beck. here is the culmination event. here's how it went down on saturday. >> thank you, thank you. [cheers and applause] >> there sneaking up on us a little bit at a time. a little bit with the health care. a little bit with taking care of banks, insurance companies, auto companies. a little here and there, we will lose our freedom. >> i'm a democrat. i was an obama delegate. i was an obama supporter. he is not doing the will of the people. i don't want to go there.

through the country during the summer. congresswoman sheila jackson lee at a town hall on her cellphone as she's asked a question. the woman who asked the question and congressman lee both on the record minutes from now. >> sixteen days coast-to-coast, the tea party express rumbled down the highway through the country. and september 12th, the final stop, washington d.c. for the massive tea party. phong reported behind the scenes. >> you chased this bus all across-country. >> i did. you know, greta, it'scr fascinating. so much has been made about whas happened this weekend, which is the culmination of 309-plus days and 16 states. there were three reporters onboard, myself followed them and two reporters were actually on the bus the whole time. one from c.and nn and one from the new york times . but before i talk about thet lessens learned, saturday was the big event. it was, of course, promoted most by glenn beck. he just talked to you. but here is what the culmination of the event. this is how it went down on i saturday. iwhwh take a look. do >> thank you, thank you! >> they are sneakin

through the country during the summer. congresswoman sheila jackson lee at a town hall on her cellphone as she's asked a question. the woman who asked the question and congressman lee both on the record minutes from now. halls. >> gregg: had been targeted, a flat out ambush. police suspect the male suspect is still at large on foot. we have a reporter heading to the scene and we'll bring you updates as we get them. we're learning that tying are woods and his wife have cancelled another meeting with the florida police. this is the third cancellation and has hired a lawyer. woods was injured friday morning when his suv slammed into a fire hydrant and a tree close to his home. this has been a fox news alert. now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast. boss: y'know, geico opened its doors back in 1936 and now we're insuring over 18 million drivers. gecko: quite impressive, yeah. boss: come a long way, that's for sure. and so have you since you started working here way back when. gecko: ah, i still have nightmares. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insur

louisianan. >> again, welcome. conagra's common sheila jackson lee joining us here in statuary hall. and now another westerner is going to be joining us here in the second, and that is congressman trent franks, republican of arizona. he's working his way over here as we speak. we are going to lose him here in just a second. grab him by the arm and grabbed the that could drag him over. there you go. we will get him over to be in the meantime we want to show what this looks like. it's emptying out a little bit now. a lot of the members of congress have already spoken to the media and a lot of the media are breaking down but you're still a year and we have a republican now from arizona, trent frank. if we could, let's start by talking about your colleague, gabrielle giffords. did you get a chance to talk to her tonight? she was sitting between two members to estimate a didn't crocker tonight. she and i have had the chance to talk earlier, and i just think it was the highlight of the evening. you know, she is going to be messed around here. she is someone that has demonstrated kind face

explore the modern era and first ladies from edith roosevelt to michelle obama. >> a town hall meeting was recently hosted in chicago. several member of the congressional black caucus share stories. members of congress participating in the event, bobby rush, danny david. congresswoman sheila jackson-lee of texas. two is a little less than hours. >> good evening. thank you all for coming this evening on this friday night in chicago. how are you? you have a member -- a battle? we welcome you to the town hall of the national summit on urban violence here in chicago state university. first i would like to introduce dr. wayne watson to give you some greetings and welcome you to the university. [applause] >> good evening. we can never acknowledge and thank those who have the courage to have vision and the courage to bring it forth, we can never acknowledge and thank them too much. our congressional black caucus, let us applaud and acknowledge them. [applause] by mother used to always say, let me smell the roses while i am here. you know, two things. one, a question was asked earlier, what are we going to do? are we going to come up with new money? new money to solve the problems? chicago state university, we are stepping up and we have stepped up for the last year now. we have established wha

for the opening to the town hall. please welcome to the stage the chair of the congressional black caucus foundation and u.s. representative from the ever resilient state of texas, congresswoman sheila jackson lee. [applaus [applause] >> good morning, my brothers and sisters. that is not good enough. good morning my brothers and sisters. full of the faith that the dark past has brought us, we will, we will, we will march on until victory is won. i welcome you on behalf of the congressional black caucus foundation. you are at the 47th annual legislative conference, a conference that you could not afford to miss, and be reminded and still i rise. and welcome you again and delighted that you have come for the focus of today's discussion is fighting the systemic destruction of our civil rights. it's very timely, it is urgent, and i'm confident that we will have a productive discussion. early this morning, i was at one of our missions for homeless men here in washington d.c., along with the congressional black caucus foundation spouses. i've said to them we must live with hope, but when you see individuals where the system has failed them. where there is no future, then you know that we have to stand in the g